Steven Bartlett, a panellist on Dragons' Den since 2021, has revealed his biggest regret from the show: not investing in Fussy, a natural deodorant brand now worth an estimated £40 million. The 33-year-old investor declined to invest when founders Eddie Fisher and Matt Kennedy pitched for £50,000 in exchange for a one per cent stake in 2022.
Bartlett said in a recent interview: 'I was sat in the chair, and I could see the regret. Sometimes you have that moment where you go, 'I think I might regret this one', but for whatever reason you choose not to [invest] and that was Fussy.' He added that he 'begrudgingly' uses the product because he believes in it, despite his initial doubt.
Fussy's pitch impressed Dragons Deborah Meaden and Peter Jones, who ultimately invested the requested £50,000 for a five per cent share. Since appearing on the show, the brand has sold an estimated 20,000 units and now has 195,000 Instagram followers. It is available in many high street retailers across the UK.
Founder Eddie Fisher previously told Metro: 'To give you an idea of the journey we’ve gone on, in the last three years we’ve gone from 0 to £20,000,000 in revenue this year, and a valuation of around £40,000,000.'
Another Dragons' Den success story is The Secret Garden Glamping company, owned by Derry Green. After appearing on the show in 2024, he secured a £100,000 investment from Deborah Meaden for a five per cent stake. The business generated an additional £500,000 in bookings within two weeks of the episode airing and now has a two-year waiting list.
